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BU-1 Neighborhood Business Use Zoning Districts

This District Permits: Retail and service convenience facilities which satisfy the essential and frequent needs of the adjacent residential neighborhood.

What is Zoning? Zoning controls the use and development of land and buildings for the health, welfare and safety of the community.

What is Lot Coverage? It is the percentage of the overall area of the site that the building occupies (building area under roof at ground level/total lot area = lot coverage percentage).

What is Setback? A setback is the required minimum horizontal distance between the front, sides, and rear of the lot to the building.

Can I have a barbed wire fence? Yes, barbed wire is permitted where such barbed wire is placed on an angle extension of not more than 16 inches on top of a wall or fence at least 6 feet in height. This extension shall contain no more than 3 strands of barbed wire and shall not extend over official rights-of-way or over property under different ownership.

Can I operate a business from an open lot? No, all permitted uses shall be conducted within completely enclosed buildings. All materials and products shall be stored within the building or within an area completely enclosed with walls which have a life expectancy of 20 years or more. Storage shall not be made above the height of the wall.

Can a modular building be used as an office? Yes, as long as it meets the requirements for setbacks, parking, landscaping, etc.

Can parking areas allow for backing out into the street? No, the parking area shall be so arranged that there is no back out into adjacent private property or public right-of-way.

Minimum Lot Area and Frontage: Minimum area of land for interior lots shall be not less than 5,000 square feet, with a minimum frontage of 50 feet. For corner lots the minimum area of land shall be not less than 7,500 square feet, with a minimum frontage of 75 feet.

Building Height, Number of Stories, Floor Area Ratio (FAR*), and Open Space: The maximum height of any structure in this district shall be 2 stories not to exceed 35 feet in height. FAR shall be .40 at 1 story and may be increased by .11 for each additional story. Minimum open space shall be as per Section 33-242 of the Miami-Dade County Zoning Code. Landscaping and trees shall be as per Chapter 18A of the Miami-Dade County Code.

Maximum Height of Fences, Walls and Hedges**: Chain link: height 8 feet; Walls and hedges: Maximum 4 feet within the required front or side street setbacks; height 8 feet at all other points

Front

20 feet for buildings not exceeding 35 feet in height

Rear

20 feet from residential district boundary, except that credit shall be given for full width of dedicated alleys

5 feet from BU or IU district boundary, where any openings are provided in wall of structure adjacent to rear lot line

0 feet from BU or IU district boundary where no openings are proposed in wall of structure adjacent to rear lot line

Interior Side

0 feet where the adjacent property is BU or IU district and where the use of the structure is limited exclusively to business use

5 feet where there are any openings provided in the walls

10 feet for such portions of the structure as are devoted to residential use

15 feet where the adjacent property is zoned RU or EU

Side Street

15 feet, except where an RU or EU lot abuts a business lot, then the side street setback shall be 25 feet on any part of the commercial structure located within 25 feet of the residential district boundary.

Where the business lot abuts an AU, GU, RU, or EU zoned property a decorative masonry wall at least 5 feet in height shall be erected on the business lot along the common property line separating the two districts. See Section 33-245 of the Miami-Dade County Zoning Code for further information.

* FAR: The total floor area of the building or buildings, as measured from the exterior faces of the walls, on any lot divided by the net area of the lot.

** In certain instances, the height of said wall or hedge may be limited to 2.5 feet for visibility at intersections or within 10 feet of either side of driveways.

The regulations contained herein are general in nature and are subject to change as deemed necessary by the Board of County Commissioners. It is advisable to contact Regulatory & Economic Resources Department at (305) 375-2800 to ascertain whether more restrictive regulations may apply to specific developments.

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